wildfire

Giant sequoias only grow naturally in California today. But they once ranged as far east as Colorado, Wyoming and Nevada, before the climate turned drier and pushed them into their current, narrower range.

As the climate warms, some mountain trees are moving higher up, while others are spreading downhill. Scientists say something inside the trees may explain why. And that split could reshape watersheds and wildfire risk.

Several casino-hotels in Reno are offering discounted room rates Monday night to community members affected by fires, including the Bug Fire.

The two fires have burned over 17,000 acres and evacuations have been ordered in northern Reno as of Monday morning.

Prescribed fires can reduce wildfire risk while also improving wildlife habitat, according to a new study from the Nature Conservancy.

After a wildfire, rivers and streams can take years to recover. Native plants and wildlife are often crowded out by invasive species in the aftermath. But in Nevada’s Virgin River watershed, a collaboration between federal agencies and conservation groups is pointing to early signs of recovery.

Wildfire risk is rising across the West after a dry winter and ongoing drought left vegetation more vulnerable to fire. Now, researchers at the University of Nevada, Reno are putting about $3.5 million in federal funding to work on a project aimed at reducing that risk in the eastern Sierra Nevada.

Storms across the Western U.S. are dumping more rain in shorter bursts than in decades past. But according to new research, that doesn’t necessarily mean landscapes are holding onto more water.

A coalition of environmental groups is suing the Environmental Protection Agency, alleging the agency missed a key deadline tied to a stricter national standard for soot pollution. The case could affect air quality protections across the Mountain West.

A new report finds that rising temperatures are making droughts across the Mountain West and Southwest even worse — and longer-lasting.